As in many highly-charged debates, we've heard some extreme views both for and against immigration reform. And, like other political and social movements in U.S. history, there is truth to both sides of the issue.

Immigrants who are here illegally are probably running from the law or are engaged in illegal activity here in the U.S.

While some undocumented immigrants are, in fact, criminals, this is not the norm. Many undocumented immigrants contribute positively to society and have a clean background aside from their lack of legal status in the U.S. Unfortunately, it is easy to lump people into either one category or the other; immigration reform advocates will contend that most immigrants are ideal, highly-educated members of society, while opponents often think that most immigrants are criminals who just want to cheat the system. Realistically, the undocumented population contains both types of immigrants, and other types in between.

Providing legal status to undocumented immigrants is exactly what the U.S. economy needs.

There are two sides to every story, and the impact of immigration on the U.S. economy is no exception. Opponents of immigration reform are concerned with the cost of immigration reform, and we can't argue that reform is free. The cost of processing applications, as well as the cost of civil and state benefits, will come at a cost to the U.S.

But immigration reform advocates offer the other side of the coin: immigrants, not current taxpayers, will have to pay for their own applications, as well as catch up on back taxes owed to the government. Advocates also point out that with the ability to work legally, these immigrants will be able to apply legally for jobs and earn an income, thereby paying taxes like other Americans. Increased income may also encourage families to spend more on commercial goods and better housing, which may help economic momentum.

Undocumented immigrants will take jobs away from U.S. citizens if we legalize them.

This is true for some job categories, but not for others. Demand for agricultural workers increases depending on the season, and there may not be Americans available or willing to perform such work.

Also, with many highly-educated Americans reaching retirement age, there is an increasing need for high-skill workers, especially in growing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. While it may be ideal to allow Americans to fill these jobs, the truth is that we don't always have enough STEM-educated workers with the training necessary to fill these roles; but immigrants might, and this represents a "net positive for our country" (according to Sen. Marco Rubio).

Immigration reform is just amnesty.

Although many people refer to comprehensive immigration reform as amnesty, they are not interchangeable. Amnesty, or a mass pardon of prior offenses, insinuates a "forgive-and-forget" mentality whereby immigrants would be off the hook for all immigration-related offenses. Many people object to immigration reform for this reason, contending that immigrants should not be allowed all the benefits of American citizenship when they came to the U.S. illegally.

Comprehensive immigration reform, on the other hand, is expected to require that immigrants earn their legal status by repaying back taxes, paying a fine, waiting in line for their status, and having a clean criminal history. Being currently undocumented will not be the only qualification to benefit from reform; immigrants must also meet certain requirements, and those who don't will likely face deportation.

If we legalize all the undocumented immigrants, more illegal immigration will occur and we will have the same problem in a few years.

Legalizing the current immigrants is one thing, but won't this encourage more illegal immigration? This is a valid concern, and one that many reformers seek to address by improving border security and finding safer, more effective methods of legal entry. "Sneaking" across Canadian and Mexican borders has actually decreased in the last several years, which is a result of both better border security and the state of the economy.

But not everyone who is in the U.S. without status is guilty of illegal entry; many people entered the U.S. on a valid visa, but never left. Immigration reform is also proposing better processes for monitoring those on temporary visas, and for tracking those who overstay them.

Immigration reform is just about illegal immigration.

The undocumented population is a big issue within immigration reform, but not the only issue. There are also shortcomings of employment- and family-based visas as well; the immigration system in the U.S. has not been comprehensively reevaluated for years, and the old methods have not increased with the demand of other visa types. Immigration reform proposals have also addressed investment visas as well as issues with the H-1B cap, family unity, and LGBT issues.

If you have questions about your immigration status, or about the impact of comprehensive immigration reform, you can contact an immigration specialist or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.